ISTANBUL

Israeli forces struck on Friday the Iranian capital of Tehran during the Quds Day march, according to an Anadolu reporter.

Small explosions occurred near Tehran's Valiasr Square, where crowds were participating in the annual Quds Day march, with plumes of smoke rising into the sky afterward.

The strikes came after the Israeli army had earlier asked residents of various areas in Tehran and Qazvin to evacuate before the planned attacks.

Regional escalation has flared up since Israel and the US launched a joint attack on Iran on Feb. 28, killing so far around 1,300 people and injuring over 10,000 others, according to Iranian authorities.

Tehran retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries that are home to US military assets.